Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The demand of indigenous liquor has increased manifold in the federal capital Islamabad in connection with the New Year’s night celebrations after a huge cache of imported liquor worth millions of rupees was recovered from a den of a notorious bootlegger of the city.

Wine is considered a central item of the Christian New Year celebrations among elites and youngsters. The recovery of a huge liquor stock from Islamabad caused scarcity of imported wine in the city due to which the drinkers opt to consume domestically produced liquor. The young boys who had planned to arrange cock-tail parties also had no other option except to buy hone-made wine. Locally produced liquor can be very harmful for human health as evident by the precedent of Toba Tek Singh where at least 42 people died and several other fell unconscious after consuming toxic liquor on Christmas Eve. Sources have said that in Islamabad, youngsters belonging to the elite class had intentions of consuming liquor on the festivity of the New Year night and a notable increase had been observed in the demand of locally produced liquor which may lead to any fatal incident. Bootleggers settled in France Colony, Shopper Colony, Musharraf Colony and other slums of Islamabad are known for producing a high amount of ‘desi wine’ to meet the demand. A source in a local hotel told this scribe that they were facing difficulties in meeting the demand for wine ahead of the forthcoming New Year night. People who are going to arrange cocktails are purchasing domestically produced liquor as a substitute to the wine. Sources told that the ICT Police did not launch any crackdown against these wine-sellers, as they are allegedly receiving extortion money from them. Aabpara Police station arrested two men who were allegedly involved in the sale and production of wine whereas I-9 Police Station apprehended one accused of wine-selling during the last week. All this proves , that the policemen are not working seriously and are giving a free hand to the wine-sellers. When contacted, the Additional Senior Superintendent of ICT Police, Mir Wayiz, he told Daily Times that the members of theChristian community sell domestic-liquor in the slums of Islamabad on the pretext of permitted liquor. The ICT police is taking actions against those involved in the sale of wine adding that police personnel will be patrolling the streets of Islamabad in large number on the eve of the New Year night to control the sale of wine and to avert any untoward incident. “Neither the drunk nor any normal person will be allowed to create any mess on New Year’s night and the police officials were fully prepared to ensure peace and tranquility in the city on this occasion,” the Additional SSP concluded.